Flawed Creatures

The Key -7-

"Class is starting soon and I'm already settled. Talk to her on your own time, Mack." As though something bit him he jumped up from the stool the second Cara took a step toward him. Throat cleared he attempted to appear casual, which he pretty much failed to do while moving backward although Cara ceased advancing the moment he stood. If her mood weren't so bleak she might have deemed his behavior comical. "Then again, think I'll go," his index finger wiggled toward the classroom's entrance, "empty my tank."

Once he left, Cara leaned on the high, black table beseeching eyes with faint circles underneath settled on her casual lover. "Jo, I need you," she whispered in the most fragile voice. "Could I...would it be possible to see you after school?"

If she'd only asked Joanne would have been willing to leave school right then. "Absolutely," she whispered back. "Meet at my house? Mom might be home, but she won't bother us."

Cara nodded, straightening to her full height. "See you then." She was about to leave when a delicate hand wrapped around hers.

"Try not to put your fist in anyone's face today." After a brief pause she added, "Or any other part of their body."

Not having done so since Friday, Cara was quite shocked by the genuine smile that temporarily landed on her mouth. She nodded, giving Joanne's hand a squeeze. If it weren't necessary to leave in order to escape a tardy she might have confessed she already choked Doug a smidgen. "I'll try to be on my best behavior."

One light blue eye winking at her, she released her hand. "All I ask, Mackintosh."

"Thanks, Douche."

Joanne smirked, from the corner of her eye noticing her assigned classmate had returned. Instead of coming back to their table, he lingered near the teacher's desk no doubt waiting for Cara to leave first. "It's Dash. Your ass better book it before you're late." She so yearned to kiss her or at least offer a hug, but that would be odd considering they weren't even supposed to appear as friends. Just Cara stopping by to talk with her a couple minutes might cause a few meddlesome students to question what the prominent member of the popular group and the intimidating pot dealer could possibly have to discuss.

Cara waved at her. "Later, Jo."

"Bye for now, Cara." She watched her leave while hoping her expression didn't reveal just how infatuated she was.

##########

"So you wanna come to my house to work on that project after school?" she asked, watching her friend watch a certain blonde weaving through the teenage crowd. Ellie nodded her agreement without sparing Robyn a glance. Leaning against the locker two away from her friend's Robyn shook her head. She had a feeling it wasn't going to be easy for Ellie to get over her sudden captivation with the renowned playgirl. "I have an idea. Think we should take some LSD before we start. It might really open up our creativity. What do you think about that, Ellie? Good idea or what?"

She did glance toward her that time. "Great idea!" Having returned her attention to the blonde who had just walked into the females only restroom, she missed Robyn's smirk.

"Then we should get naked, jump into a bathtub filled with honey and go in search of an ant hill to take a nap next to."

"Sounds grea--wait," Ellie finally looked at her, face suffused with perplexion, "what?"

The smirk broadened. "Turned your hearing back on, eh?"

"I'm sorry, Robbie. I just..." She offered the restroom door a longing gaze and murmured something about needing to go.

"Ellie, don't do it. It's better this way."

"If that's true why doesn't it feel better?

"Just give it time."